13 December 2011

Nineteen-year-old John Katehis was sentenced to the maximum of 25 years to life in prison for the brutal March 2009 stabbing death of a gay radio reporter he met through Craigslist, report the Daily News and Gay City News.

After a very brief statement in which he said he was "sorry" for killing George Weber and felt "regret" for the pain he caused the slain man’s family, John Katehis received the maximum sentence. Jay Cohen cited his client’s youth –– he was 16 when he killed Weber –– in asking the court for "compassion." After that, Judge Neil J. Firetog, without any comment, handed down the maximum sentence, under which Katehis must serve at least 25 years, less the two-plus years spent in jail since his arrest, before being eligible for parole.

For a moment after receiving his sentence, Katehis kept his head facing forward, but as he was about to be led from the courtroom, he turned back toward the gallery, where his father Spiro sat with several young women, and showed a grin.

Defense attorneys have portrayed the slain newsman as a drunk "predator" of teen-aged boys who "lured" the then-16-year-old under false pretenses. Prosecutors said the evidence showed that Katehis was a cold blooded killer.

There were no drugs in Katehis' system, according to the police report. Although Katehis told police that he answered Weber's Craigslist ad offering $60 for rough sex, prosecutors proved that it was actually the teen who offered oral sex, among other services, in Internet ads aimed at men.

Defense attorneys have portrayed the slain newsman as a drunk "predator" of teen-aged boys who "lured" the then-16-year-old under false pretenses. Prosecutors said the evidence showed that Katehis was a cold blooded killer, reports Duncan Osbourne at Gay City News.

Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi, the assistant district attorney who prosecuted the case, delivered an effective closing argument on November 14, telling jurors that Katehis, now 19, may have planned Weber’s murder and perhaps even tortured the 47-year-old victim before killing him. Jurors began deliberating around noon on the 14th and announced they had a verdict by 3 p.m. on November 15. The speed of their verdict suggests they easily adopted the prosecution’s theory.

There were no drugs in Katehis' system, according to the police report. Although Katehis told police that he answered Weber's Craigslist ad offering $60 for rough sex, prosecutors proved that it was actually the teen who offered oral sex, among other services, in Internet ads aimed at men.

Defense attorneys have portrayed the slain newsman as a drunk "predator" of teenaged boys who "lured" the then-16-year-old under false pretenses.

"He lost control," said Jay Cohen, Katehis’ attorney, during November 2 opening statements in Brooklyn Supreme Court. "He never intended to kill him." The victim, George Weber, a WABC radio journalist, was stabbed a total of 50 times.

Katehis faces a single second-degree murder count that alleges he intentionally killed Weber. Cohen is aiming for an acquittal by saying his client lacked the legally required state of mind to prove intentional murder. He may also be laying the groundwork to ask Neil J. Firetog, the judge in the case, to add a lesser charge of manslaughter for the jury to consider as an alternative to murder. Earlier this year, Katehis was offered 16 years to life in exchange for a guilty plea to second-degree murder but rejected that offer.

Prosecutors say the evidence shows otherwise and that Katehis was a hustler and a cold blooded killer. There were no drugs in Katehis' system or the apartment, police report. Although Katehis told police that he answered Weber's Craigslist ad offering $60 for rough sex, prosecutors proved that it was actually the Queens teenager who offered oral sex, among other services, in Internet ads aimed at men.

"Katehis is charged with one count of second-degree murder in the 2009 killing and could face as much as 25-years-to-life if convicted. If a jury decides that he killed the 47-year-old Weber but acted under the influence of an extreme emotional disturbance, he would be guilty of manslaughter and could receive up to 25 years in prison. He would then serve six-sevenths of that time before being eligible for release.

"Katehis’ first trial ended in a mistrial after one juror was not convinced that Katehis intended to kill Weber when he stabbed the journalist 50 times. Those 50 wounds are what suggested the defense to Cohen. 'Any time somebody inflicts that number of wounds... it indicates to me that he lost it,' Cohen told reporters following the [Decmber 3] hearing."

Prosecutors say the evidence shows otherwise and Katehis was a hustler and a cold blooded killer. There were no drugs in Katehis' system or the apartment, police report. And although Katehis told police that he answered Weber's Craigslist ad offering $60 for rough sex, prosecutors proved that it was actually the Queens teenager who offered oral sex, among other services, in Internet ads aimed at men.

"One juror held out for an acquittal, with 11 others wanting to convict the 18-year-old of second-degree murder. 'She was adamant about intent,' said Darryl Turner, one of the eleven, referring to the juror who wanted an acquittal. 'We couldn’t get the one holdout to change her mind.' Katehis faced a single count of second -degree murder in the 2009 killing. That count required that the prosecution prove that Katehis intended to kill the 47-year-old Weber when he stabbed him 50 times.

Defense attorneys portrayed the slain newsman as a drunk predator of teenaged boys who "lured" the then-16-year-old under false pretenses. Prosecutors say the evidence shows otherwise and that Katehis was a hustler and a cold blooded killer. Although Katehis told police that he answered Weber's Craigslist ad offering $60 for rough sex, prosecutors proved that it was actually the Queens teenager who offered oral sex, among other services, in Internet ads aimed at men.

The Brooklyn district attorney will retry the case and John Katehis will remain in jail. Defense attorney Jeffrey Schwartz has petitioned for a bail hearing to hopes to get his client out of jail before a new trial begins.

"Jurors in the Brooklyn murder trial of the teenager accused in the sex-charged stabbing death of WABC newsman George Weber yesterday told the judge they were deadlocked but will return today for further deliberations. In the middle of their second day of deliberations, the jurors sent out their note telling Judge Neil Firetog for the second time that they were having difficulties. Earlier yesterday the jury asked Firetog a second time to explain 'reasonable doubt.'"

Prosecutors say the evidence shows otherwise and that Katehis was a hustler and a cold blooded killer. Although Katehis told police that he answered Weber's Craigslist ad offering $60 for rough sex, prosecutors proved that it was actually the Queens teenager who offered oral sex, among other services, in Internet ads aimed at men.

John Katehis faces one count of second-degree murder and a sentence of 25-years-to-life if convicted.

In closing arguments, defense lawyer Jeffrey Schwartz "portrayed his client as a money-desperate teenager who was lured to the apartment of a drunken predator of teen boys with a fetish for being smothered", reports the New York Post. Schwartz told jurors that "Weber gave the teen alcohol and a mysterious powdery substance before pressuring 'him to do things that made him uncomfortable' in exchange for $60."

Prosecutor Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi portrayed John Katehis as a "mature" and "cold, calculating, [Weber] had been stabbed about 50 times, and his blood-alcohol level was 1.2, autopsy and toxicology reports showed. The powder found in his apartment tested negative for narcotic drugs, said Nicolazzi. "The defendant did intentionally kill George Weber," the prosecutor told jurors. "He wasn't justified, and he wasn't intoxicated." Sensing that jurors might take issue with the age difference between Weber and his accused murderer, Nicolazzi told them they had an obligation "to leave your emotions on the courthouse steps" and to consider the "evidence coupled with the law."

Although Katehis told police that he answered Weber's Craigslist ad offering $60 for rough sex, it was actually the Queens teenager who offered oral sex, among other services, in Internet ads aimed at men. "Katehis, who was 16 when he stabbed Weber 50 times, placed an ad on Craigslist in March of 2009 offering oral sex for money," reports Gay City News. "The two men corresponded via email over several days, with Weber seeking to be tied up and smothered, an act that Katehis eagerly agreed to."

John Katehis faces one count of second-degree murder and a sentence of 25-years-to-life if convicted.

At yesterday's opening arguments, defense attorneys portrayed the slain newsman as a drunk predator of teenaged boys who "lured" the then-16-year-old under false pretenses.

John Katehis went to George Weber's Brooklyn apartment in March 2009 believing he was going to earn $60 to help move boxes, defense lawyer Jeffrey Schwartz said in state Supreme Court in Brooklyn. Instead, Weber gave Katehis, then 16, alcohol and what the teen believed was cocaine and offered him the money in exchange for smothering and binding him for sexual gratification, Schwartz told jurors. "George Weber was a 47-year-old drunk predator of an underage boy by the name of John Katehis," Schwartz said. "He lured this 16-year-old boy to his lair."

Prosecutors portray Katehis as a willing participant who placed a Craigslist advertisement offering sex for money. Weber, who had a sexual fetish for being smothered "to the point of where he was close to passing out," responded to the ad, said prosecutor Anna-Sigga Nicolazzi. The two exchanged e-mails and pictures before agreeing to meet at Weber's apartment, the prosecutor told the jury. "This was a vicious, brutal, intentional attack," the prosecutor told the jury, adding that the motive may "never be quite clear. He wasn't warding off any attack. He wasn't high or drunk," she said.

The troubled teen claims Weber was accidentally killed during a cocaine-fueled bondage PNP session gone wrong. But investigators found no cocaine in Weber's apartment. Toxicology tests performed on Katehis after he was taken to the emergency room for cuts found no traces of the drug in his system, police say.

Defense attorney Jeffrey Schwartz claims that Katehis is the victim. He charges his client was lured to Weber's apartment and that any action Katehis did was in self defense. "It seems like Mr. Weber had this whole secret life that no one knew about," Schwartz said. "He went by the name of SmotherBoy on Craigslist, which is a way he either lured or attempted to lure other underage boys into his lair, supplied them, or at least Mr. Katehis, with drugs and alcohol, attempted to get him to do some sadomasochistic sex to him and the situation got out of control."

While Katehis's emotional parents would not comment, Schwartz said that his client is a confused teen. "He's a normal child who might have been boasting and bragging like we all do on his Facebook page to try to look like a macho ninja person," said Schwartz.

Police say Katehis admits responding to Weber's Craigslist ad offering $60 for rough oral sex. The teen, who allegedly killed Weber after a cocaine-fueled bondagePNP session gone wrong, will be tried as an adult. Katehis' attorney has subpoeaned the hard drives from both men's computers. It seems like we will be hearing much more about George Weber's sex life in the months to come ...